Shigeru Umebayashi - Yumeji’s Theme (from In the Mood for Love’s Soundtrack)
梅林茂 (born February 19, 1951 in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka) is a famous japanese composer. He began his career as the leader of the Japanese new wave rock band EX. Subsequently, he began composing music for films and television series. He has composed music for more than 40 Japanese and chinese films. His minuet, Yumeji’s Theme, originally composed for the 1991 Seijun Suzuki film Yumeji, was used by acclaimed director Kar Wai Wong in his 2000 film, In the Mood for Love, and Umebayashi was subsequently commissioned by Wong to write the score for the film’s 2004 sequel, 2046. He also composed the musical scores for two wuxia films by Zhang Yimou, the Oscar-nominated 2004 film, House of Flying Daggers and the 2006 film, The Curse of the Golden Flower.
Kronos Quartet - Mishima/Closing (from Kronos Quartet Performs Philip Glass)
Kronos Quartet is a string quartet founded by violinist David Harrington in 1973. Since 1978, the quartet has been based in San Francisco, California. The longest-running combination of performers (1978–1999) had Harrington and John Sherba on violin, Hank Dutt onv iola and Joan Jeanrenaud on cello. Jennifer Culp replaced Jeanrenaud on cello in 1999. Jeffrey Zeigler replaced Culp on cello in 2005. Kronos specializes in new music and has a long history of commissioning new works. In fact, over 600 works have been created for the Kronos Quartet. They have worked with many minimalist composers including Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Terry Riley and Kevin Volans.
Max Richter - Last Days (from Memoryhouse)
Max Richter is a German-born British composer. Memoryhouse, his first solo album, is a journey though the 20th century which unfolds like the soundtrack to an imaginary film. Combining the BBC Philharmonic under conductor Rumon Gamba—no strangers to recording classic film scores—with atmospheric electronics, the result is a melancholy evocation of love, loss and survival, often with the focus on Eastern Europe. Minimalism with a deeply emotional core, overlaid with fragments of poetic voices, the melodic sensibility lies between Philip Glass’s minimalism, Wojciech Kilar’s The Portrait of a Lady and the film scores of Zbigniew Preisner. Both the piano writing and the intense lament “Sarajevo” echo Preisner’s work on Krzysztof Kieslowski’s Three Colours Trilogy. Other, more electronic pieces such as “Untitled (Figures)” parallel Richter’s work with the Future Sound of London and his collaborations with Roni Size. Richter, who was co-founder of Piano Circus, has delivered the sort of intelligent, imaginative, accessible new music one might expect to find on Radio Three’s Late Junction, so much so that this is one of the first releases on the Late Junction label. In the composer’s words, Memoryhouse tells “a story about where we have been, and asks the question: ‘Where we are going?’” The answer is couched in thoroughly modern insecurity, at the heart of a passionately conceived, impeccably performed odyssey of spectral beauty.
Max Richter - November (from Memoryhouse)
Max Richter is a German-born British composer. Memoryhouse, his first solo album, is a journey though the 20th century which unfolds like the soundtrack to an imaginary film. Combining the BBC Philharmonic under conductor Rumon Gamba—no strangers to recording classic film scores—with atmospheric electronics, the result is a melancholy evocation of love, loss and survival, often with the focus on Eastern Europe. Minimalism with a deeply emotional core, overlaid with fragments of poetic voices, the melodic sensibility lies between Philip Glass’s minimalism, Wojciech Kilar’s The Portrait of a Lady and the film scores of Zbigniew Preisner. Both the piano writing and the intense lament “Sarajevo” echo Preisner’s work on Krzysztof Kieslowski’s Three Colours Trilogy. Other, more electronic pieces such as “Untitled (Figures)” parallel Richter’s work with the Future Sound of London and his collaborations with Roni Size. Richter, who was co-founder of Piano Circus, has delivered the sort of intelligent, imaginative, accessible new music one might expect to find on Radio Three’s Late Junction, so much so that this is one of the first releases on the Late Junction label. In the composer’s words, Memoryhouse tells “a story about where we have been, and asks the question: ‘Where we are going?’” The answer is couched in thoroughly modern insecurity, at the heart of a passionately conceived, impeccably performed odyssey of spectral beauty.
(via sunrec)
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Storm (1st Movement)
Godspeed You! Black Emperor (formerly punctuated Godspeed You Black Emperor! and commonly abbreviated to GYBE or GY!BE) is a Canadian post-rock band which originated from Montreal, Quebec in 1994. They were the first outside act to release their recordings through Constellation, an influential independent record label also located in Montreal. Godspeed You! Black Emperor took their name from a little known 1976 Japanese black-and-white documentary by director Mitsuo Yanagimachi, which follows the exploits of a Japanese biker gang, the Black Emperors. They are most commonly classified as post-rock, but are just as well recognized outside any established scene and take influences from a range of styles including progressive rock, post-punk, classical music, soundtrack, composition and the avant-garde. Each release usually consists of an entire piece divided into movements, mostly between 15 and 25 minutes, sometimes eponymously specified in the liner notes. After the release of their debut album in 1997, the group toured regularly from 1998 to 2002. In 2003, the band announced an indefinite hiatus in order for band members to pursue other musical interests. In the intervening period the group was occasionally rumored to have broken up, but the band finally reconvened for a tour in late 2010 and early 2011.
Red Sparowes - Buildings Began to Stretch Wide Across the Sky…
Red Sparowes is a post-rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, United States, comprising current and former members of Isis, Neurosis, Halifax Pier, Angel Hair and Pleasure Forever. Their sound is characteristic of soundscape-influenced experimental rock, with an otherwise uncommon extensive use of a pedal steel guitar. Red Sparowes formed in 2003 as another project for its members: Bryant Clifford Meyer, Greg Burns, Josh Graham, Jeff Caxide, and Dana Berkowitz. Andy Arahood and david clifford joined the band after the release of Red Sparowes’ debut album, At The Soundless Dawn, as replacements for departed Caxide and Berkowitz respectively.
A Silver Mt. Zion - Could’ve Moved Mountains (from Born Into Trouble As The Sparks Fly Upward)
A Silver Mt. Zion is a band formed in 1999, in Montreal, Quebec. Originally an off shoot of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, comprising several members of that collective, subsequently more members have been added. To some extent, A Silver Mt. Zion was born out of a desire on the part of the godspeed players to work in a smaller musical ensemble; in effect, to escape some of the constraints that often accompany writing and arranging music democratically with nine musicians. As well, Efrim simply wanted a vehicle to realize some of his own musical ideas that would not necessarily work well within the context of godspeed. A Silver Mt. Zion’s sound is somewhat similar in style and sound to Sigur Ros, Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai, Mono and the mighty GY!BE themselves. Their music, between post-rock and ambient, is creative, spiritual, unique and moving.
Kronos Quartet - String Quartet No. 4 (Buczak): III (from Kronos Quartet Performs Philip Glass)
Kronos Quartet is a string quartet founded by violinist David Harrington in 1973. Since 1978, the quartet has been based in San Francisco, California. The longest-running combination of performers (1978–1999) had Harrington and John Sherba on violin, Hank Dutt onv iola and Joan Jeanrenaud on cello. Jennifer Culp replaced Jeanrenaud on cello in 1999. Jeffrey Zeigler replaced Culp on cello in 2005. Kronos specializes in new music and has a long history of commissioning new works. In fact, over 600 works have been created for the Kronos Quartet. They have worked with many minimalist composers including Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Terry Riley and Kevin Volans.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Moya
Godspeed You! Black Emperor (formerly punctuated Godspeed You Black Emperor! and commonly abbreviated to GYBE or GY!BE) is a Canadian post-rock band which originated from Montreal, Quebec in 1994. They were the first outside act to release their recordings through Constellation, an influential independent record label also located in Montreal. Godspeed You! Black Emperor took their name from a little known 1976 Japanese black-and-white documentary by director Mitsuo Yanagimachi, which follows the exploits of a Japanese biker gang, the Black Emperors. They are most commonly classified as post-rock, but are just as well recognized outside any established scene and take influences from a range of styles including progressive rock, post-punk, classical music, soundtrack, composition and the avant-garde. Each release usually consists of an entire piece divided into movements, mostly between 15 and 25 minutes, sometimes eponymously specified in the liner notes. After the release of their debut album in 1997, the group toured regularly from 1998 to 2002. In 2003, the band announced an indefinite hiatus in order for band members to pursue other musical interests. In the intervening period the group was occasionally rumored to have broken up, but the band finally reconvened for a tour in late 2010 and early 2011.
(via sunrec)
Explosions In The Sky - Glittering Blackness (from How Strange, Innocence)
Hailing from the sultry metropolitan landscape of Austin, TX, Explosions In The Sky are some of the most sincere folks you will ever meet. Aside from being nice guys, they play some of the most passionate, powerful instrumental music you will ever hear. Equal parts romance and tragedy, their beautiful melodies have the tendency to ignite into head-spinning walls of noise. Easily one of the most intense live bands ever, their sound proves to be every bit as triumphant as their name implies. After forming in 1999, they released debut album How Strange, Innocence in 2000, to a warm response. Follow-up Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever (2001) was considered by many to be an improvement, and brought them to a wider audience. The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place (2003) brought them more praise from music magazines and websites, while All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone (2007) was loved by some reviewers, with others considering it a disappointing follow-up to …Cold Dead Place.
RJD2 - Ghostwriter
RJD2 is an instrumental hip-hop artist and producer. His debut album, Deadringer, was released on Definitive Jux in 2002 to rave reviews, many of which claimed it was like a sequel to DJ Shadow’s masterpiece Entroducing…. The following year he released The Horror, which featured one CD of rarities and b-sides, and a multimedia disc of videos and animations. His second proper album, Since We Last Spoke, was released in 2004, to more warm reviews. It moved away from instrumental hip-hop and saw RJ singing and playing real instruments, indicating a move towards rock music. After leaving Definitive Jux, RJ signed to XL Records and released his third album The Third Hand in 2007. A pop-rock album which featured RJ singing and playing instruments on most tracks.
Michael Nyman - The One Moment (from Gattaca’s Soundtrack)
As one of Britain’s most innovative and celebrated composers, Michael Nyman’s work encompasses operas and string quartets, film soundtracks and orchestral concertos. Far more than merely a composer, he’s also a performer, conductor, bandleader, pianist, author, musicologist and now a photographer and film-maker. Although he’s far too modest to allow the description ‘Renaissance Man’, his restless creativity and multi-faceted art has made him one of the most fascinating and influential cultural icons of our times. At this stage of a long and notable career, he might forgivably have been content to rest on his considerable laurels. Yet instead of looking back on a lifetime of achievement that ranges from his award-winning score for the film The Piano to the acclaimed opera The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat, via a string of high-profile collaborations with everyone from Sir Harrison Birtwistle to Damon Albarn, he’s still looking forward—pushing the boundaries of his art with a diverse and prolific burst of creativity as energetic and challenging as any new and iconoclastic young kid on the block.
Frédéric Chopin - Noctune in C Minor, Op. 48
Frédéric François Chopin (1810 –1849) is one of the most famous, influential, and admired composers and virtuoso pianists of the Romantic era. He was born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin, of Polish and French parentage, on 1st March 1810 in the village of Żelazowa Wola, Poland. In Warsaw he was hailed as a child prodigy and as the “second Mozart” for his piano and composition skill, for which the composer Robert Schumann complimented the talented pianist: “Hats off, gentlemen, a genius!” Due to the political situation in Poland, he left his country for France at the age of twenty. There he composed his two piano concertos with their patriotic Polish themes and rhythms, based on traditional polish dances. He never returned to Poland, but after his death his sister Ludwika took his heart to Poland - in accordance with his last will, where it was placed inside a pillar of the Holy Cross Church at Krakowskie Przedmiescie Street. In Paris, he made a career as a performer and teacher as well as a composer, and he adopted the French variant of his name, “Frédéric-François”. In 1836 he met the French writer George Sand, with whom he had a relationship for nine years until 1847. He suffered poor health for much of his life and this forced him to give up performing and teaching shortly before he died on 17th October 1849.
Clint Mansell - Memories (from Moon’s Soundtrack)
Clinton Darryl “Clint” Mansell, (born 7 January 1963) is an English musician, composer, and former lead singer and guitarist of the band Pop Will Eat Itself. After the disbanding of Pop Will Eat Itself in 1996, Mansell was introduced to film scoring when director Darren Aronofsky, hired him to score his debut film, π. Mansell then wrote the score for the next Aronofsky film, Requiem for a Dream, which has been well received. Its main composition “Lux Æterna” has become extremely popular, appearing in a wide variety of advertisements and film trailers. Mansell’s composition for The Fountain was nominated for Best Original Score at the 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards. His other notable film scores include Moon, Smokin’ Aces, The Wrestler, and Black Swan.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Storm (1st Movement)
Godspeed You! Black Emperor (formerly punctuated Godspeed You Black Emperor! and commonly abbreviated to GYBE or GY!BE) is a Canadian post-rock band which originated from Montreal, Quebec in 1994. They were the first outside act to release their recordings through Constellation, an influential independent record label also located in Montreal. Godspeed You! Black Emperor took their name from a little known 1976 Japanese black-and-white documentary by director Mitsuo Yanagimachi, which follows the exploits of a Japanese biker gang, the Black Emperors. They are most commonly classified as post-rock, but are just as well recognized outside any established scene and take influences from a range of styles including progressive rock, post-punk, classical music, soundtrack, composition and the avant-garde. Each release usually consists of an entire piece divided into movements, mostly between 15 and 25 minutes, sometimes eponymously specified in the liner notes. After the release of their debut album in 1997, the group toured regularly from 1998 to 2002. In 2003, the band announced an indefinite hiatus in order for band members to pursue other musical interests. In the intervening period the group was occasionally rumored to have broken up, but the band finally reconvened for a tour in late 2010 and early 2011.
Hello. I'm Kevin. I'm French and I currently live in Montreal where I study Business and Environmental Science at Concordia University. You'll find here some of the things that I read and find interesting. 
